Lithuanian Radio and Television

TRUNCIENĖ Romualda, Vilnius

On that night, I was by the Television and Radio Center with the Vilnius University folk ensemble „Ratilio" (of which I'm a member). We sang and entertained the people. There were a lot of university students there. By the old building „Armonika" was playing and Evangelists were singing.

At about 2 a.m. we heard tanks firing by the old block. The crowd rushed over there. Some tanks were rushing down the street towards the city. But the tanks turned around and started to drive in our direction. An older man told us to crowd closer together. Along with some members of the ensemble, I ended up near the stairs of the new building. While we were re-forming, “liudi" (..people") got out of the military vehicles. Lining up, they came towards us. The people began to chant: “Fascists!" There wasn't anywhere to move back. Paratroopers threw explosives at our feet and fired over our heads. Tank shots were thundering. One packet exploded right under our feet. I didn't even realize that our entire row had fallen to the ground. Lying down, I felt that I was on fire. Dizzy from the smoke, I put out the fire on my clothes. Soldiers were climbing over me. I came around when somebody urged me to get up. Vaidotas Deveikis was next to me and his coat caught fire. Looking for my friends, I heard a ..Panorama" journalist telling about how he had seen a dead paratrooper in the television building.

Soldiers had already climbed up the stairs and were fighting with the people who were in the lobby. They were breaking the windows with the butts of their guns.

The firing didn't cease. I found my friends. Darius Griškevicius, a med-student, had been grazed by a bullet in the calf.

We got in the car and rushed to Independence Square. The crowd was ready for the worst.